How To Build Marketplace Apps Like LetGo & OfferUp?

Before the mobile boom, it’s always been difficult to link a vendor and a buyer. All has changed since we become accustomed to having anything we require on our smartphones. You may now gain users while sitting at home or from anywhere in the world. Some shoppers order used items in their neighborhood rather than pay exorbitant shipping fees. Apps like LetGo & OfferUp might be useful in this situation.

OfferUp and LetGo are two instances of selling applications that have garnered significant popularity in a short period. They are popular marketplaces that allow individuals to exchange things easily. They have also garnered millions of downloads, which is why entrepreneurs want to develop similar selling applications. So, keep reading to learn more about creating the finest marketplace app possible.

Are Local Sell & Buy Apps Popular?

Entrepreneurs like solving common issues, which inspires them to develop applications such as OfferUp, OLX, LetGo, and Quikr. The customer-to-customer (C2C) sector is growing at a high CAGR of 5.3% e-commerce industry area.

Furthermore, C2C purchase and sell applications profit from approximately 50% user penetration rates. In Q3 2020, the user volume of top US-based consumer-to-consumer or buy-and-sell apps surpassed 28 million, demonstrating a robust uptrend that continues to increase. Also, spare some time to read our blog titled: 9 Tips for App Developers For Building Successful Mobile Apps.

How Do Buy & Sell Apps Work?

Sell & buy applications like OfferUp & LetGo are popular due to their ease of use and ability to let individuals buy and sell items rapidly. This is how two-way applications work:

• Sellers capture items they want to sell and include a piece of information about the product. Using criteria adds the item to the proper category for the product.
• Buyers searching for such things will notice them in the search, where they will apply similar filters to find products.
• They may ask about inquiries, negotiate the price, and purchase the items straight from the vendor after seeing the seller’s ad.

Some Popular Buy-Sell Apps List

Many buy-sell applications are available today, but not all have gained favor with clients. Here is a list of the top 5 buy-sell applications available today:

1# eBay

Everyone knows eBay is the world’s largest online marketplace, which began as AuctionWeb in 1995. The app has roughly 200 million users globally and allows users to sell via auctions or fixed-price listings.

As sellers are contractually compelled to sell items if there is a winning bid, this will enable sellers to earn the highest possible prices of the goods and buyers to get a deal when they see it.

eBay is extremely popular worldwide, and it made headlines when a Giga yacht built by Frank Mulder sold for $169 million, making it the most expensive item ever sold.

2# Craigslist

Craigslist is developed from a hobby project in which the creator, Craig Newmark, described the future event in the bay region through email to a mega-dollar enterprise. the app sells and purchase things since 1998, rendering it one of the largest and most well-known C2C platforms available today. It is extremely popular, with over 20 billion website views per month in 2010. It generates income through paid listings, where buyers & sellers come to sell, purchase, and post job ads.

3# Vestiaire Collective

Vestiaire Collective is well before the luxury fashion C2C platform in the world. This app is extremely popular among individuals looking to acquire secondhand luxury products at inexpensive costs, with a 530 percent YoY growth rate. Vestiaire Collective is extremely popular, with approximately 10 million active users and more than 30,000 things submitted weekly.

It made headlines when Dello Russo utilized their service to sell off her fashion line at rock-bottom pricing. The site generates profits by charging up to 25% of the total commissions for every sale. Before being dispatched to the buyer, items sold are shipped to the firm for inspection.

4# LetGo

LetGo began in 2015 as an app that made it easy for people worldwide to sell and purchase stuff. LetGo’s prominence drew the attention of its competitor—OfferUp—with over 400 million postings, 100 million+ app downloads, and almost $1 billion in investment. LetGo was bought for $120 million by OLX-owned OfferUp in March 2020. LetGo’s straightforward interface makes purchasing, selling, and searching for products simple.

5# OfferUp

OfferUp, which debuted in 2015, is a popular buy-sell application and website with over 24 million monthly visitors. OfferUp is part of the $1.21 billion OLX group and has a highly intuitive UI and a significant user base. This app has chosen community gathering locations that are exclusive to the app.

Any long-distance purchase involving shipment is subject to a shipping cost and a 12.9 percent charge from OfferUp. The app purchased LetGo for $120 million in March 2020. As a united business, both firms have access to each other’s clients and provide countrywide delivery to LetGo consumers.

Technology Types To Create Apps Like LetGo & OfferUp?

Although the possibilities in the app business are practically limitless, here is our recommendation for what you may employ to develop applications like LetGo & OfferUp. Please keep in mind those are not the primary technologies we deal with; the final tech stack is decided during conversations with the technical team. We organized the tech stack all-around needs of an app like OfferUp:

1. Development Platform

This is determined by whether you want to launch the application on the App Store (Apple iOS) and the Play Store (Android) at the outset. For example – how to see your reviews on letgo is another aspect that you need to consider.

2. Front-End or Customer Development

You create the front end of your program using technologies including HTML, JavaScript, CSS, and Bootstrap. This is the UI that your users will view when they launch the app.

3. Web Frameworks

You can select Angular.js, Backbone.js, and React.js.

4. Server-Side Development Technologies

Most background processing occurs on the server, commonly known as backend development.

5. Programming Languages

For iOS apps, you may use Swift/Objective-C, whereas, for Android apps, you can use Kotlin/Java.

6. Database

Databases store long-term data such as films, photos, user profiles, etc. You have the option of using MongoDB or MySQL.

7. Web server

A web server is a computer that serves web pages & applications to users. Nginx and Apache are two popular servers.

8. Other tools

Based on the options you select for your project, you can choose from Confluence, AWS S3, Swagger, and many more.
Features That Your Buy-Sell App Must Have For Apps Like Offerup In 2022
The following are the most critical elements that your buy-sell app must have to be popular with users:

Making A Profile

Creating profiles is required for both buying and selling products. You may also keep track of all favorites and current posts in your profile.

Categories & Filters

Filters and classification make it easier for shoppers to find things. Sellers need categories to place their items so customers can quickly locate them strategically.

Camera

Sellers must have access to a camera to post photographs of what they are attempting to sell. Sellers may upload a photo, write a description, and submit the ad!

Chat

Chat enables sellers and buyers to connect, exchange brief messages, and arrange for item pickup. Usually, people come forward with the issue that why nobody responds on Offerup. This is purely a customer support issue. So pay attention to it.

Options For Advanced Search

Buyers may use the advanced search feature to fine-tune their listing and filter down the results obtained to their preference.

Geolocation

Geolocation is critical for hyper-local buyers and sellers’ apps like OfferUp. Users will view local ads allowing them to choose merchants from nearby locations, eliminating travel and shipping costs.

Ratings & Comments

Seller & buyer ratings are a wonderful technique to keep consumers safe from dishonest buyers and sellers. Deleting items from Offerup is another pro point.

Push Notifications

Push notifications are required for messaging, pricing adjustments, and other crucial app and user updates.

Shipping & Delivery

Including logistical services, delivery, shipment, and pickup.

Integration Of Payment Methods

Including a payment mechanism completes the app by allowing purchasers to browse, contract, pay for, and have the item delivered to their home without effort.

How Do You Make An App Like OfferUp Or LetGo?

There are several conditions for developing an app. Multiple Offerup accounts hold numerous aspects Before you begin constructing your buy-sell local app, you must accomplish the following. And also understand how to find someone by name on Offerup.

Conduct A Market Analysis & Feasibility Research

Understand your goals and determine whether the market is appropriate for your app. Your app must meet a previously unmet requirement of your clients. If you produce something unnecessary, your prospective users may not like it. It is preferable to develop an app that is both viable and required by the market.

Consider Your Monetization Possibilities

Determine how your software may generate revenue. An app is only sustainable if it can generate income and maintain itself over time. A good, long-term business plan will help you stay competitive and satisfy your clients.

Examine Your Competitors

If you are a first-mover in your industry, you may have to work more than the competition to find users for your software. With no one to turn to for inspiration, you must develop a unique idea if you want to make it big in the app market. Analyzing your competitors is a terrific approach to understanding what is missing and how your software can address those gaps, creating a win-win situation for you and your customers.

Select A Technology Stack

Choosing the correct technology stack is critical – As you also need to know how to delete items on Offerup. If you don’t know where to start, hiring a world-class development COMPANY THAT WILL help you identify the right tech stack for the task is essential.

Complete Metrics & Business Intelligence

Creating data endpoints and business analytics channels for the app is critical for gaining insights into how your users interact with it.

Complete Your App’s First Feature Set

Finalizing features allows you to prioritize your development requirements and select a team capable of building them for you.

Find A Competent Development Partner

Hiring the right people is critical to building the application of your dreams. With an expert development company on your side, you can be confident that your app will be all you hoped for and more!

Create Marketing Channels

Setting up communication and marketing channels is critical for keeping your stakeholders informed. These channels will assist you in gaining momentum and establishing a community among your initial users.

Customer Service/Assistance

Set up support services so your users may contact you if they encounter an issue. Within the app, you can get phone help, email support, or live chat. This channel may also determine what your clients require the most from the app.

Maintenance/Updates

The creation of an application is not the end of the story. Set up upgrades and support cycles ahead of time so that you can resolve any issues that your quality team did not discover during their tests.

Popular Business Models like LetGo & OfferUp

There are several methods to monetize your selling and buying the app. Some applications, such as Craigslist, are free to use, while others, including OfferUp and eBay, charge a fee to allow users to sell things on their platform. You may tailor your monetization strategies to your consumers’ preferences and long-term objectives. Popular business models are as follows and they also help and tell you how to delete posts on letgo:

(a) Transaction Charges & Commission

Many people who purchase and sell applications make money by charging a commission on each sale. The seller often adds a slight markup to cover the expenses, while the consumer pays a predetermined, flat rate.

(b) Advertisements & Promotional Posts

Seller’s eager to sell their goods may pay to have their item shown at the top of search results during specific hours, increasing their chances of selling significantly. Customers can find a lot under the search tag on how to accept an offer on Offerup.

(c) Delivery Fees

Many businesses charge for delivery to offset costs and offer up another revenue stream for their app.

(e) Subscriptions & Premium Memberships

Selling subscriptions & premium memberships open new revenue streams.

(f) Third-Party Services

Offering third-party services and other advantages may open a world of monetization possibilities for your app. Usually public searches end on how to find someone on Offerup. Thus, do consider this issue as well.

Wrap-up

With the rise in popularity of smartphones and tablets and increased mobile connection, many businesses are contemplating launching an app to expand their reach. Developing a marketplace system for local buyers and vendors is undoubtedly a smart concept that is technically feasible. However, keep the main flow in mind as you develop your app for sellers and buyers. Define its essential and distinguishing qualities, create the MVP model appropriately, and recruit a competent development team and you’ll be successful.

You understand how to create an app like LetGo or OfferUp now that you’ve grasped the subtleties of the selling development of an application. Connect with app development experts at Clustox to help you build your new app today. We have both iOS and android app developers with a proven track record of successful deliveries that have enabled a lot of startups and entrepreneurs to achieve their dreams. Let’s talk today to bring your vision to reality and achieve a better ROI and business model.